Just because eating more fruits and veggies doesn’t lower overall cancer deaths doesn’t mean it doesn’t help prevent certain kinds of cancer — we just didn’t look closely enough at each type.
Scientific Claim
The lack of association between fruit and vegetable consumption and cancer mortality does not rule out potential benefits for specific cancer types, as the study aggregated all cancers and did not analyze site-specific outcomes.
Original Statement
“It is possible, however, that fruit and vegetable consumption might have stronger effects on specific cancer sites. In addition, different types of fruit and vegetables might have different effects on cancer risk. Future studies are needed to be more specific about types of cancer and the role of different groups of fruit and vegetables.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim accurately reflects the authors’ own caveats and recommendations. It avoids implying causation or definitive absence of effect, using appropriate probabilistic language.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that eating more fruits and veggies didn’t lower overall cancer deaths, but it didn’t check if they help prevent specific cancers like breast or colon cancer — so we still don’t know about those.